LOCAL Houston | The City Guide April 2017 - Page 31

FOOD | ARTS | COMMUNITY | STYLE+LEISURE
BRASSERIE DU PARC
CUISINE: French cuisine | 1440 Lamar St. | 832.879.2802 | www.brasserieduparc.net
Mon–Thur: 11am–10pm; Fri–Sat: 11am–11pm; Sun 11am–9pm
An unexpected benefit of the Super Bowl was the opening of several new restau-
rants downtown. My favorite is Brasserie du Parc. Chef Philippe Verpiand and
Monica Bui, the owners of Étoile in Uptown Park, opened Brasserie in One Park
Place. The beautiful open space overlooks Discovery Green and offers a wide vari-
ety of French classics and incredible wine and cocktails. The indoor patio transforms
to outdoor by opening the windows to allow Houstonians to enjoy spring and fall.
Romain Mauger, the Chef de Cuisine, picked a variety of
small plates and entrées to sample. The beef tartare was
divine. Traditional style, the perfectly minced beef made
my mouth water the moment it hit the table. The escargots
with herbs garlic butter were tender and with just the right
amount of garlic. My favorite was the Foie Gras au Tor-
chon, a cold duck liver with raspberry mousseline. Sweet
raspberry and savory liver. Incredible.
For entrées, I sampled the Steak Frites, Galveston-style
mussels and Raviolis aux Champignons (mushroom ravi-
oli). The medium-rare flat iron steak had the right amount
of pink/red. I wanted to eat it all, but knew I had more
coming. While not traditional French, the Galveston-style
mussels were served in a tomato broth with crab, shrimp
and jalapenos. A wonderful combination of flavors and
spice. My favorite, though, was the mushroom ravioli. Port
wine truffle sauce. Yes, port and truffle with the earthy
mushrooms. Heaven in a bowl.
While I know I will return, I’d be remiss if I didn’t tell about
Créperie du Parc. A walk-up window for crepes to satis-
fy your sweet and savory needs. For savory, the Poitrine
du Porc – pork belly with caramelized onions, egg and
gruyere. Sweet? Grand Marnier, which is a take on the
classic Suzette.
Risotto aux Fruits de Mer
Photo by Mauricio Hernandez
Brasserie du Parc is a destination. Lunch, Happy Hour,
Dinner, Dessert. I’m glad it arrived.
Vazir gave us a variety of Indian dishes for us to sample: Butter
Chicken, Vindaloo, Daal Tadka, Coconut Curry. With all the naan
made in house, we couldn’t go wrong dipping. I ordered the Vin-
daloo and Daal spicy, somewhat to Vazir’s surprise. The vindaloo
was spectacular, fork tender lamb in a perfect chili curry. Just the
right amount of heat. The Daal Tadka, Grandmother Vazir’s recipe,
uses four different lentils and gujarati tadka. Ratcheting up the spice
worked well here, too. My daughter loved her more mild coconut
curry and butter chicken. It was her first Indian experience, and she
can’t wait to go back.
My son? The hamburger. His declaration? The best in Montrose
outside of Lankford – high praise indeed. The Slow Dough bun
and 44 Ranch beef looked great. It was gone before I could get
a bite. His friends at HSPVA will be glad that GrubHub delivers.
Overall, Cowboys and Indians’ fusion works. Go Tex-In – it’s a
different kind of rodeo.
Southern Fare
april 17 |
L O C A L
31